


Step Into Christmas, The Admission's Free

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, F/F, Fluff, M/M, Schmoop, Shopping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-27 15:33:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1715681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy is home for the Holidays; home being Tony Stark's newly constructed Avengers Tower. And she has made it her mission to make sure everyone feels like they're part of a big dysfunctional family this Christmas. </p>
<p>Holiday shopping, ugly LED sweaters powered by arc reactors, popcorn balls, Christmas cookies, and boozy eggnog ensue. Culminating in a very chaotic, mistletoe festooned, Avengers Holiday Party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Step Into Christmas, The Admission's Free

It was the most hideous sweater she had ever seen. She had to have it.

And Darcy had no doubt she could make all the sparkle reindeer noses actually light up with help from Tony and a thousand LED lights. The guy was good at making things glow conspicuously. There had to be some perks to living in Avengers Tower. Well other than the really obvious ones. Now that Thor was back for good the little band of astrophysicists, and Darcy, they were a package deal, got to move in there. In order to do so they all got relocated to New York.

Everyone except intern Ian. Which she was a little bit sad about still. But hey that was the way the interdimensional space portal crumbled, apparently. Not everyone was as good at moving all over the world and being best friends with geniuses and alien Gods. Life man. What a crazy ride.

Which was part the reason she had to have that Christmas sweater. If she was going to be single for the Holiday Party at the Tower then she was going to be the most jolly, obnoxious, brightly colored, festive single person there.

She must have been grinning manically because the sales clerk who sold her the monstrosity of a sweater looked even more terrified than usual. It was the week before Christmas and the store was crawling with screaming children, harried women, uncomfortable men in business suits, and some really cute festively dressed gender fluid folks. She was definitely in the right store.

The cold air off the Hudson cut through her navy peacoat as she stepped outside. The sky hung low and gray with the promise of snow. It was the season to be happy and thankful for friends and family. Darcy loved the holidays because every year she seemed to have less and less to celebrate about her life. But for a couple weeks she could step back in time to a part of her childhood when she knew she was safe and relatively content.

The time of year when she would tear the construction paper rings off her yuletide calendar giddily awaiting the 25th. Her nanny would start baking spritz cookies the first weekend of December and wouldn’t stop turning out spice loaves, pumpkin breads, and sugar cookies until after New Years. One of the only times she ever saw her father had been at Christmas.

The few non-apathetic memories she had of her relationship with him were from the holidays. Lost in thought she almost stepped out into the street just in time to get hit by a speeding cabby. A small hand grabbed her midsection and jerked her back as she yelled some choice words after the yellow cab.

Everyone knew cabs in New York were murderous but she had never come quite so close to being road pizza. She looked down at the firm hand holding her and then at the person it belonged to. The Black Widow was looking at her like she had more than one head. Darcy knew her name was Natasha but they had never talked so she had no idea if it was okay to call her that.

She released her and stepped back, they stared at each other awkwardly.

“Wanna see the really ugly Christmas sweater I just found. I’m pretty sure whomever made it thought all of the brightly colored intersecting lines made it look ‘avant-garde.’”

She did the last words with proper air quotes. Natasha, Black Widow, whomever she was, raised a thin red eyebrow at her then inclined her head towards Darcy’s shopping bag. Surprised she fumbled with the bag trying to get the sweater out and almost dropped the other things she had bought as actual presents for people. She reached out and caught the bottom of her shopping bags and Darcy smiled in thanks as she freed her ugly sweater and held it up for her to see.

“I’m pretty sure I can get Tony to add flashing lights to all the reindeers. Then it’ll be unforgettable!”

She quirked her mouth up but her eyes were still serious.

“It’ll certainly be something, although what I’m not sure.”

Darcy’s grin spread wider. She was terrifying but she had a sense of humor. She could work with that.

“So what brings you and presumably several concealed weapons all the way over to the Bronx on this blustery Saturday afternoon?”

Natasha did smile at that but she still wasn’t showing her teeth.

“Same as you. I need to get a gift for someone.”

That did take surprise her more than almost getting hit by a car. Darcy made a quick assumption.

“Well I’m pretty sure the nearest Cabelas is in like Maryland so if you’re looking for archery supplies you’re not in the right place.”

Natasha started to turn to walk across the street but Darcy wasn’t going to let her get away that easily. Although if Natasha had really wanted to lose her she wouldn’t have had to try very hard.

“What makes you think that Clint would be the only one I’m buying a Christmas present for?”

Darcy bumped into her back when she stopped and went flying back farther than she needed to. She apologized profusely and might’ve ended it with something along the lines of “pleasedon’tmurdermeinmysleep.” Natasha just stared at her but then offered to help carry some of her bags. When Darcy looked at her like she had just turned into a dragon Natasha withdrew her hand and blew some of her pristinely straight red hair from her face.

“All the bags are making you unbalanced.”

Like that was an explanation for anything. Darcy reluctantly handed her one that wasn’t particularly heavy and then said.

“So I take it you haven’t had any luck finding anything; unless S.H.I.E.L.D. is making invisible bottomless shopping bags now. And hey if they are I definitely need like ten.”

That earned her another arched eyebrow.

“I don’t know what to get her. I’ve been wandering around for a few hours but nothing seems appropriate.”

Now it was Darcy’s turn to raise an eyebrow, both of them actually, all the way to her hairline. When Natasha’s cool expression started to darken she put up her still burdened hands in surrender.

“Whoah no judgments here! I’m pansexual and if I had a girlfriend, boyfriend, genderfriend, fuck buddy, whatever, you know I would be buying them a gift too.”

Natasha was still glaring at her but it had lost all of its deadliness. So Darcy took that as a sign that she wasn’t going to end up with a pair of cement slippers for Christmas.

Natasha was shopping for a girl that she liked, she could work with that, that was something normal people did. Apparently deadly international super spies also did that too, who knew. The next thought was who this lovely mystery lady was but she had a feeling that asking that was against the rules of whatever fragile game they were playing here.

“Okaaaaay. Do you want some help then? Like what are her interests? Favorite color? Allergies? Notice I didn’t say chocolate immediately because I realize some people are lactose intolerant.”

Natasha made a movement to hand Darcy back her shopping bag and leave but she stopped at the last moment and muttered something in Russian. Darcy suspected if she looked it up it would roughly translate to “fuck it might as well.”

“Her favorite color is maroon and she’s allergic to pine nuts. She loves boots but owns several obscenely sturdy and expensive pairs. In other words I don’t know what to get her.”

Darcy knew how difficult it could be shopping for someone who had everything they needed already. Enter her father. But she had stopped buying him gifts when she was still in elementary school so there was that. Also it was a lot easier shopping for a Norse God than it had been for her father so she knew a thing or two about buying meaningful gifts. There was also great value in making something for someone you cared about.

“Maybe instead of buying her something you should plan an outing or a special event? If she already has everything she needs maybe giver her a memory. It sounds super sappy and Halmarky but it is a good way to go for difficult gifts.”

Natasha seemed to think this over then something in her expression shifted. Her face was still a carefully arranged sort of polite blank slate but there was life in her gray blue eyes now.

“We’re going to need a crate of Christmas bulbs, a cashmere scarf, chocolate chips, and a shit ton of icicle lights.”

Darcy’s grin bloomed wickedly on her face.

She knew exactly where they needed to go and whose credit account they would be using. After making their first stop for decorations Natasha insisted that they go somewhere close by and Darcy was confused until she saw the big Godiva sign.

She was actually really great company and Darcy was not complaining that a super awesome super spy bought her expensive white chocolate peppermint hot chocolate and talked to her about when she used to pretend to work for Tony Stark.

To which Darcy promptly responded to with the story of that one time she tased Thor. She might not go so far as to say they became best friends but they did bond. And for as often as Darcy got to hang out with the Avengers who weren’t Thor that was special to her.

When they got back to the tower with their massive haul of holiday decorations in hand Darcy didn’t question Natasha when she told JARVIS to let them off at the third highest observation deck. She also didn’t question that the third highest observation deck on the Avengers Tower was connected to Natasha’s wing. Darcy could take a hint.

“I can take it from here.”

Natasha grabbed several of the bags full of boxed silver and red bulbs from her and set them against the large glass windows of the deck. It was pleasantly warm in the wide-open space even though with all the windows it looked like they were outside.

“Are you sure? Cause I’m boss at hanging decorations. I’ve got mad hook stringing skills.”

Natasha actually smiled at that and Darcy was pretty sure that Natasha was cool people even if she could murder her with her pinky toe and a bobby pin. Maybe even just with the bobby pin.

“It’s fine. Something tells me that you’re going to find something else to do.”

That was a strong enough dismissal for her to get the hint so she bowed elegantly, wished her a happy holidays and got in the elevator to go to the shared team floor. She hoped that whatever she had planned for her mystery lady that night would be as magical as those blinking blue and white icicle lights shaped like daggers they bought.

Darcy found herself dreamily imagining their romantic evening together and suddenly she felt very lonely. The holidays were kind of terrible like that. They reminded you of what was important and sometimes made you realize too painfully what you were missing.

Which was why she was going to make sure every team member came to the Christmas Party this year. No matter how awkward Thanksgiving was. Because everyone deserved to know that people cared about them. Even if they had trouble showing it. She smiled thinking of Natasha almost fleeing from her earlier. Yeah this was going to be a good a Christmas.

When she got in the elevator JARVIS greeted her pleasantly.

“Welcome back Miss Lewis. I take it you and Agent Romanov had success in your shopping endeavors?”

She smiled impishly at the ceiling. Darcy knew JARVIS could see her face from multiple angles but a part of her always pictured him living in the ceiling.

“Well sort of. I’m not really sure about Natasha but she seems like she’s got it under control. I ended up buying myself more presents than other people. It’s the thought that counts though right?”

There was a judicious nod in JARVIS’ voice.

“No doubt all of your purchases will be coming out of Mr. Stark’s expense account so it is indeed the thought that counts.”

Darcy laughed and leaned against the cold metallic elevator wall.

“I get a salary for the valuable work I do here. If I want to occasionally hack into Tony’s personal credit accounts I will, and he needs to beef up his encryptions and firewalls.”

The doors opened on the rooftop observation floor that Tony had transformed from his personal quarters into a shared recreational/team type floor.

“I will be sure to let him know you think so.”

She stuck her tongue out in the general direction of JARVIS’ voice and stepped into the large cylindrical space. Not a bit of tinsel or mistletoe in sight. Disgraceful.

Also it appeared that she was the only one home, or at least the only one in this part of the tower as Natasha was in her wing and Pepper and Maria was probably in their offices. She figured Bruce, Jane,Tony would be science-broing it up in R&D or the labs on the 16th floor. But if Jane wasn’t in the labs and they weren’t out on a date she had expected to find Jane and Thor lounging around being cute and couple-y together. There was still something slightly surreal about seeing Thor on the couch in snoopy pajama bottoms brushing Jane’s hair while she talked a mile a minute about Bose Einstein Condensate.

Not like she was jealous or anything. They were both really great and she was happy for Jane. She deserved all the nice things in this world and any of the other ones. There were supposedly nine realms.

It was funny spending the holidays with Thor and some of his friends from Asgard. Fandral had definitely been hitting on her but she suspected Sif had been as well. She hadn’t gotten to spend any extra time with either of them because halfway through dinner the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants had frozen solid half of Central Park. They really needed a better PR guy with a name like that.

Before that disaster the gathered Asgardians had thought that the feasting at Thanksgiving fitting as a celebration of conquest long past and it kinda killed everyone’s appetite. Then Bruce and Jane had a really long talk with everyone about imperialism, colonialism, and why Thanksgiving was probably a really bad time to celebrate family and friendship.

Maybe Christmas would turn out better. They were definitely inviting Sif and the Warriors Three back and she was going to corner her under some mistletoe or something. Maybe also Fandral. She briefly wondered if they had anything like Yuletide in Asgard seeing as how Scandinavian countries totally had celebrations like Christmas way before Christianity.

It would have been easy to ask Thor all about it because he loved to talk of his adventures at home but neither one of them was there. Sighing in defeat she spoke to the ceiling again.

“Hey JARVIS where is everyone else? Did they get called out on a mission? Are they out to dinner without me again?”

There was a fondness in the A.I.’s voice and Darcy was about 98% sure that JARVIS was alive in the same way replicants were.

“Dr. Banner and Foster along with Mr. Stark are working with the reactor in the basement. Agent Barton is out on mission in a location classified to your clearance level. Captain Rogers, Staff Sergeant Wilson, and Thor left on a similar trip to your own almost an hour ago. Agent Romanov is where you left her and Ms. Potts and Ms. Hill are in their offices on the 27th floor.“

Darcy blew some hair out her eyes in defeat.

She sat down on the couch and propped her feet against the glass coffee table. There had to be a way to get everyone together and celebrating like a real team. Or if she was being honest with herself a family. She and Jane had been a family in London after Selvig bailed on them to go work for S.H.I.E.L.D. And when Thor had come to live with all of them at their flat they were a family again then too. But after moving into Avengers tower everyone had split up and went different ways to form their little cliques. It was worse than fucking high school and Darcy felt like the odd man out, just like fucking high school.

Darcy could have almost been tossed out of the group all together, her precarious position of importance was always vaguely on her mind. Everyone seemed to tolerate her and occasionally the highlight of her day was making someone laugh. But she wasn’t a superhero. She wasn’t a genius scientist or dating any of them. Not that she was adverse to idea it just seemed like most people were either paired up or had other things on their mind. And she didn’t blame them. Saving the world was Serious Business and Darcy had always been fairly bad at taking anything too seriously. She was a live in the glory of the moment kind of gal.

As Darcy stared at the empty and clean metal lines of the penthouse a plan started to formulate. Either Natasha could read her like a book or it had been a challenge but Darcy was in fact going to find another way to amuse herself before the Christmas Party tomorrow.

“Hey JARVIS can you look up in the Yellow Book to see if there are any local businesses that deliver Christmas trees or decorations?”

“I can. Should I also place an order for said services as I have found twelve such businesses in the five boroughs and two in New Jersey?”

She made a face at the last part but then said magnanimously.

“Do any of them have websites? I’d like to see what decorations I’m getting. Just get the biggest tree that will fit under this ceiling and a couple of those giant wreaths with the big red ribbons.”

The hologram touch screen twinkled to life above the glass coffee table in front of the wrap around couch and she bounded over the sit and stare at all the sparkly options. JARVIS offered a couple of suggestions based on each business’ annual charitable donations and community outreach and she selected the one with most glitter and best customer satisfaction on Yelp. But she wasn’t done yet.

“You keep track of everything in this house right? Do we have enough microwave popcorn to make some garlands and popcorn balls? What about flour, sugar, and eggs? How many sugar cookies can I make with what we have currently.”

She touched the hologram screen and pulled up the keyboard to type local craft stores into it. She needed a bunch of construction paper if she was going to make customized ornaments and paper snowflakes. JARVIS seemed to think on this for a second before reporting back.

“With our current kitchen supplies you could make approximately 34 traditional Christmas sugar cookies. As for the microwave popcorn Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner finished the last of it two nights ago while watching Fast Five.”

Darcy snorted and then made JARVIS place a massive Peapod order. Not just for dessert stuff either. They were going to have a proper Christmas dinner and not order in pizza again. If she had to singlehandedly make all of it then so be it. And if things were a little salty or burnt that’s what they would get for not helping her. They were her new family whether they liked it or not.

Captain America was always on about team building and working together. Then why the hell weren’t they all decorating a tree together? Watching all of the Jules Bass Claymation movies while singing along and eating poorly decorated Christmas cookies with way too many sprinkles. Where were the stupid elf hats or reindeer antlers?

Well maybe no antlers as they tended to remind everyone of a certain supposedly deceased God of Mischief. She would bust a gut if Thor showed up dressed like Santa. This was supposed to be a joyous time of year. Why was no one besides her, and oddly enough Natasha, getting into the spirit of the season?

She placed the last order and JARVIS sent out the concierge to retrieve the necessary craft supplies. Time to put on some “Now that’s What I Call Christmas” and go find the gang. JARVIS sounded amused when she got in the elevator and asked to go to the basement. She also brought her Christmas sweater so she could corner Tony and ask him to augment it.

The glow of the massive arc reactor played bright blue through the glass airlock doors and she saw three familiar figures silhouetted against it. Bruce was the first to notice her and when she waved enthusiastically he put up his hand half-heartedly in response. Darcy motioned for him to open the door so he tapped Jane on the shoulder and she turned around and smiled at Darcy before waving her through. The reactor was soundless but it looked like a metal orb of liquid lightning. Jane greeted her enthusiastically.

“Hey! How’d Christmas shopping go? Is Thor back yet?”

She shook her head no and then addressed Tony.

“Hey yo billionaire playboy philanthropist I have a favor to ask.”

He didn’t look up from what he was working on in the control panel, his hands were gloved with a spider web of slick metal sensors.

“Don’t you always Dame Darcy? Can it wait another couple hours, or you know never, we’ve almost got this calibrated.”

Jane rolled her eyes and waved her arm.

“What he means by almost is probably another two weeks of work.”

Bruce finally spoke up as he pushed his glasses back up his nose.

“Tony never sleeps, his sense of time is a little skewed.”

Darcy wasn’t going to be deterred.

“Yeah but the favor is a little engineering project, right up your alley. Think of it like one of those little mint palette cleansers.”

Bruce looked curious and Tony stopped what he was doing long enough to gaze at her skeptically. She grinned and pulled the terrifying sweater from her bag. Jane physically recoiled from it and Darcy’s grin grew even more sinister.

“I want you to make it glow. Possibly also flash.”

Tony’s blank look changed to a sly one.

“Sometimes I forget I like you.”

Darcy was still smirking as she batted her eyelashes.

“Only sometimes?”

He laughed and took the sweater from her carefully.

“Usually around the same time you use my expense accounts to order half of Manhattan doughnuts.”

“That was only that once! And to be fair you guys did destroy like six Dunkin Donuts while fighting Doctor Doom. Where were people supposed to turn? The world runs on Dunkins’ you know.”

Bruce let out a choked laugh and Jane was smiling when she shook her head in disbelief.

“Alright I’ll make you Shine Bright like Diamond but you have to promise to leave all three us alone until we finish working on the reactor.”

If Bruce was right and it would take them two weeks then that wouldn’t do because Christmas was fast approaching and the party was scheduled for tomorrow night.

“No can do! Christmas is coming and I am not letting you guys spend it with science and not your friends. Also Pepper said all of you were totally coming to the Christmas Party tomorrow night.”

Tony pouted and said in a mocking voice.

“But science _is_ my friend.”

Darcy affectionately punched him in the arm and he had the decency to look like it hurt. Jane sighed and said.

“I guess we can make the party for a couple minutes tomorrow night. But I don’t think we’re doing anything super exciting for Christmas this year. We might just order in and,”

Darcy cut her off with an accusatory finger.

“Oh no! None of you are wimping out on the Holidays! We’re all going to be here for it and there’s gonna be a party with massive amounts of food, spiked eggnog, and annoying Christmas carols.”

Jane looked at Bruce and then Tony for support and both of them shrugged. Tony seemed pretty unconcerned.

“Usually Pep organizes a Christmas shindig for the investors and a separate one for employees but I only show up long enough to play Santa and pass out bonuses.”

Bruce looked uncomfortable.

“I haven’t spent Christmas with anyone for about five years now. I didn’t really miss it.”

Darcy flung her arms up in exasperation.

“All the more reason for us to go all out! We all live here together, work together, but spend most of our time apart! If we don’t come together for Christmas what’s the point of being together at all?”

“Stopping alien invasions and super powered villains?”

Tony couldn’t help but snark his way out of any situation. There was a reason for the refrigerator crayon drawing of him that said “Tony Snark” in big green letters. Hey man it turned out The Hulk really loved coloring and Darcy wasn’t about to argue with him about it so she had sat down with him and made a bunch of refrigerator art while everyone else waited nervously for him to calm down.

“I know you really love Christmas Darcy but maybe this year isn’t the best year to go all out at the party. We could do something just the three of us, you, me and Thor. Like it was in New Mexico.”

Darcy deflated.

“Thanks. I guess.”

When Jane reached out to pat her shoulder sympathetically she shrunk from her. Then dejectedly headed back for the elevator.When she asked to go back to the shared team floor JARVIS sounded concerned.

“Some of your deliveries have arrived Miss. The tree should be here within the hour.”

Darcy didn’t acknowledge she’d heard him. There was a Yuletide fueled battle raging inside her. They were all being Grinchy. If no one was going to celebrate with her how sad would that be. There had to be other people she could imbue with the Christmas spirit. Did they have any friends?

“JARVIS! Stop the elevator on Pepper and Maria’s floor! I need to talk to them ASAP.”

Luckily they hadn’t passed it so he let her off smoothly in the offices of Pepper Potts and Maria Hill. Their secretaries looked up from their typing at the same time and looked like they were both going to dismiss Darcy but she ignored them. Then pushed her way through the doors into the giant corner conference room. She stopped as her boots skidded to a halt on the cream colored carpet.

Maria was there leaning back against the long sleek table while Pepper hovered over her in a less than platonic position. So much for those Stark Industry employee fraternization codes. They both turned slowly to face Darcy and Pepper pinked while Maria’s face was carefully neutral.

“Did you need something contractor Lewis?”

Maria’s voice was even but there was an undercurrent in how she said “contractor.” She took several quick steps around the edge of the table and advanced towards Darcy menacingly.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had officially made Jane and her members in order to give them the proper clearance and to make the paperwork headache ten thousand times less obvious. So when S.H.I.E.L.D. went belly up after the HYDRA thing her contract was picked up by Stark Industries along with several other high ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, scientists, and tech specialists who had proved not to be HYDRA plants. And then there was Darcy. Who was basically a glorified goffer.

“Uh. Yeah but it can wait, I’ll just be going now.”

She had stumbled upon something she shouldn’t have. Two of the most powerful women in the world right now, kissing. Darcy had the strangest timing. She wouldn’t say it was good or bad, just really weird. Pepper was the next one to speak as she walked over towards the two of them.

“It’s fine! I think I might know what it’s about if JARVIS’ recent purchases on her behalf are any indication.”

Of course she knew about everything that was purchased with Tony’s cards. She probably had a special ping alarm set up for it by now.

“I want to make everyone come to the Holiday Party tomorrow night. Annnnd possibly invite everyone you know. We’re a family, even if none of you want to act like it, so we should do family type things together during this time of year.”

Maria looked at her with a slight frown and Pepper raised one of her perfectly manicured eyebrows. Darcy waved at them both exasperatedly.

“Oh come on! Are you telling me you guys don’t want to watch Bruce and Thor decorate a giant Christmas tree. Or see Steve chuck popcorn balls at Tony when he drinks too much boozy nog and gets clingy.”

They both looked at each other and Maria smirked, tilting her head approving and that was that. Darcy now had two terrifyingly persuasive people on her side at least even if they wanted cut out early from the party to do important business related things or cute making out related things that was fine with her. Darcy pumped her fist in victory then calmed her demeanor to something more professional.

“So do you guys know anyone else we should invite? Like all of the remaining S.H.I.E.L.D. dudes? Sif and the Warriors Three? Clint’s dog and his protege mini-lady Hawkeye? Some of Sam and Rhodey’s buddies from the Air Force?”

Pepper nodded and walked back over to the end of wooden meeting table to where her computer was.

“I’ll tell Rhodey to invite whomever he wants and Sam’s sister is already coming. What about you Maria, do you and Clint know any other agents who might like to attend?”

She seemed to mull it over for a minute while tapped a finger against her jaw.

“Sharon and Melinda are on the level. Kate’s also fine even though she hangs out with Clint for some Ungodly reason. I can send them invites right now.”

Pepper was furiously typing away at her keyboard and when she looked back up at Darcy she was smiling gently.

“As for Sif and company you’re better suited asking Thor about that. We have no way of currently contacting Asgard, otherwise I would prepare a suitable invitation.”

Darcy scrunched up her face and then smiled.

“Oooh now we have official looking fancy party invites. Nice. I want Sif and The Warriors Three to be a surprise though. Like a little Norse Yule miracle. I’ll figure something out.”

Maria raised an eyebrow at that and Darcy shrugged innocently before thanking both of them and running out of the conference room towards the elevator. None of them mentioned what she had seen and how she shouldn’t tell anyone about it. They didn’t have to.

Darcy had come a long way from posting cute shots of Thor on Facebook. She had a big mouth but she also knew when to keep it shut. Mostly when deadly super secret agents were glaring death threats at her from across the conference room. Darcy slunk into the elevator, JARVIS spoke up again.

“The tree and other wreaths have arrived. I had the service men place it in the corner close to the window and the Peapod delivery driver was nice enough to put away the perishables in the fridge.”

Darcy nodded approvingly.

“I hope you tipped him enough to have a very merry Christmas.”

“Of course.”

She was pretty sure they were both smiling at that even though one of them didn’t technically have a mouth.  
As the elevator smoothly rose past many floors she slapped her palms together in mock prayer and said in a loud and even voice.

“Dear Heimdall it’s me Darcy. I’m not sure how this works but can you please send me some of Thor’s friends for Christmas. All the Warriors Three, and Sif, maybe just Sif. Thanks a bunch and uh Happy Holidays.”

She finished awkwardly but if what Thor had told her was correct then he had heard her. Whether or not he actually passed on her request would be a different matter.

When the doors opened she laughed. Oh yeah things were about to get festive. There was a giant tree in the corner and three wreaths as big as her torso lined up against the windows. She could definitely work with this, it was time to pop some popcorn and get down to business.

She was halfway through the second box when Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, and Thor joined her in the kitchen looking bemused.

“I’m going to make a bunch of popcorn garlands. You guys in?”

Steve and Sam smiled and nodded and Thor also said he would help even though she was pretty sure Thor didn’t know what she was talking about. She gestured towards the table where she had threaded some dental floss with a needle.

“Steve you’re team leader here. Sam is second in command as Thor has no idea what a popcorn garland is.”

They laughed and headed towards the table. Sam smiled winningly at her from the head of the table as he sat down.

“You’re really getting into the spirit of the season Darcy. Thor and I were admiring the tree and wreaths when we came in.”

Thor beamed and sat down hard enough to make the table rattle as he addressed her.

“Sam has informed me that your Midgardian Yule traditions often involve the felling of giant spruce trees. And I was simply remarking that they are a worthy decoration for any hearth.”

Darcy poured the bag of steaming popcorn into another bowl and placed it before Thor.

“You can eat like half of it but we need enough strings to wrap all the way around the tree. I’ll be over to help in a minute. Hey JARVIS put on the Christmas music!”

In response Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” came on over the kitchen speakers and Darcy laughed as she punched in the code for the perfect bag of popcorn into the microwave. Now this was what she was talking about. Steve cocked his head as the song continued.

“This sounds older. Who sings this?”  
Darcy grinned.

“It’s a little after your time I think. Hey JARVIS when did Eartha Kitt record ‘Santa Baby’?”

JARVIS answered promptly and extensively.

“Eartha Kitt recorded and released ‘Santa Baby’ in 1953 but she was performing with the Katherine Dunham Company on and off Broadway in 1943 all the way up through 1948. So in theory, if not in practice, she was indeed a contemporary of Captain Rogers’.”

Sam whistled appreciatively.

“Oh man what I wouldn’t give to have been able to see her perform this live. She was a real fire cracker man I bet you two would have gotten along.”

Steve smiled but there was a shadow behind it. Sam seemed to pick up on it, maybe it wasn’t the best thing to remind Steve of all the people his age who were dead now. So he changed the subject fast.

“Hey man do they have something like Christmas in Asgard?”

Thor looked up from very meticulously trying to poke a hole in his popcorn with his giant fingers.

“We do celebrate the coming and going of the seasons but we only have two of them, unlike Midgard.”

Sam shrugged and leaned back far enough in his chair that it almost tipped over..

“I dunno know. Sounds like Chicago to me.”

Steve tried to hold back a grin behind his hand. There was something going on between those two and they had Darcy’s whole hearted approval. If anyone deserved to be truly happy it was Steve. Sam also didn’t look too down in the dumps even though they hadn’t yet had much success tracking down Steve’s former Soviet assassin, brainwashed, bff. Whatever they were doing now she was going to work really hard to make them forget about it for a few days and enjoy the holidays. Everyone deserved to have fun this time of year.

Steve’s popcorn string was much longer than Sam and Thor’s and looked to be expertly done. She eyed it appreciatively and then muttered.

“I’m going to have to recruit you for the paper snowflake making initiative.”

This time Steve really did laugh and Darcy, Sam, and Thor couldn’t help but join him.

“No contest you guys are like the most festive Avengers right now. Can I count on your help in cat wrangling the rest of them into feeling the holiday cheer?”

Thor smiled brightly at her from his seat while eating a handful of popcorn.

“I would be happy to assist you in whatever you require Lady Darcy. Your causes are usually harmless and fairly noble. Although I have to admit I have never been good with cats.”

She stuck her tongue out at him and he grinned boyishly in kind. Thor often played at being big, dense, and oafish but he had more wit about him than people gave him credit for. Also Jane would not be dating someone who wasn’t able to at least partly keep up with her intellectually. She had high standards like that. Darcy was a little jealous of both Jane and Thor for different reasons sometimes but she had to admit both of them were equally adorable.

Steve was smiling ruefully and when he addressed her it was fondly.

“This is my first Christmas with other people in a long time. I didn’t have high hopes for it being particularly special but if you want to make it that way of course I’ll help.”

He worked hard to make the rest of the team forget how much he was hurting but they all saw it. Sam reached over and squeezed his arm comfortingly and Steve’s smile became shy and private. Yup there was something there that wasn’t there before. She would have grabbed her chest sympathetically at the sight of them but sometimes it was better to pretend she didn’t notice as much as she did. For everyone.

After the corn stopped popping merrily in the microwave she filled her own bowl and sat down with them at the table.

“Tomorrow I’ll make popcorn balls to eat and hang up. But I’m getting everyone to help make those and some cookies.”

Nobody really responded to that instead they continued to thread popcorn or in Thor’s case conspicuously eat it. Various classic carols rang out over the speakers and it finally felt more like the holidays should.

After finishing their strings Thor, Sam, and Steve helped her hang the popcorn on the tree, Thor and Steve easily giving her a boost when she needed one to reach the very top branches. Darcy could definitely get used to them both effortlessly picking her up more often.

Sometimes it was good to be a Friendvenger. If any one of them heard her say that phrase she was pretty sure they would have Tony block her Wifi access. Jeez she was getting as bad as Clint with the puns.

After that she queued up “The Snowman” and the animated “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” she enjoyed the animated goodness and somehow managed to snuggle Thor while he waited around for Jane to come up for dinner. Well to be fair Thor liked to snuggle so it wasn’t that hard. Sam sat down on the other side of the couch to watch and Steve wandered off. When he came back it was with a sketchbook and he started drawing the Whos in Whoville. Followed by Thor and Darcy cuddling on the couch and then a not so secret portrait of Sam’s profile.

She was always so impressed with Steve’s skills, whether it was winging that shield around or sketching people with a charcoal pencil he was damn near perfect. And yet he always seemed so alone.

Darcy tried not to think too hard about it and cuddled in closer against Thor, he might have been a solid wall of muscle but he was also warm and welcoming. And of course he didn’t seem to mind, he was eternally at ease with physical contact like that. Seemed to expect it. Maybe cuddling was an important part of Asgardian culture and Darcy was just making him feel more at home. That was how she liked to look at it.

When dinner did finally roll around and they had made it through “The Year Without a Santa Claus.” Jane and Bruce showed up along with Natasha, followed by Pepper but conspicuously no Maria or Tony. Thor got up to embrace Jane. Darcy turned around to grin widely at all the surprised faces in front of the elevator. They were looking at all the Christmas decorations behind her as she addressed them.

“Who is up for making a massive amount of Christmas cookies? Like I’m talking enough to feed an army of elementary schoolers. Which, if we’re honest, Thor’s appetite is equivalent to.”

When no one responded she climbed off the couch and didn’t hesitate to grab Bruce and Jane and drag them towards the kitchen hoping everyone else would follow.

It was absolute chaos trying to make Christmas cookies with six variously super powered people. There was now flower in places where not even dust had been able to take hold in the kitchen. And Thor may or may not have broken two granite rolling pins in his excitement. But at the end of it everyone was still smiling, no one had threatened to murder anyone else, and they had a metric fuck ton of cookies in various states of misshapenness.  
Pepper and Natasha’s cookies were the cleanest and prettiest and she was almost jealous, almost, but hers’ had the most sprinkles. After that everyone gathered around to watch Elf and even Tony came up and stole some of their cookies before sitting on one arm of the couch and typing away on his Stark pad. Things had gone better than she had suspected.

Tomorrow would involve crafting and more decorating and then the boiling sugar nightmare of popcorn balls. There were now sugar cookies to fuel her good spirits so the impending party planning didn’t seem as daunting. So far so good. Phase one was complete. Maybe if she treated the holidays like it was her division they would take her more seriously. Darcy, The Avengers’ Official Party, Event, and Random Get-together Planner, didn’t sound too shabby. She would have to bring it up with Pepper and Maria later. But first sleep. Sleep with dreams of sugar plums and certain Asgardian shield maidens dancing through her head.

Darcy was so ready for this.

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this last year at Christmas and didn't finish it. So I've gone back and changed a few things around and now it is perfection for the Fluffvengers. Also it's a delight to write unlike most of the other stuff I've been up to which has left me in tears. So here's some uh Christmas in June, nearly, instead of July?
> 
> This is all me as I don't want to bother my already stressed beta/s. I apparently write enough for three people to have trouble keeping up with me. Oops. Anyone else out there in the MCU fandom interested in beta'ing some fic, probably MCU femslash and Bucky/Steve? Let me know...


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